3 Ways Upscale Restaurants Can Market on Social Media

December 7, 2016

Nearly 60 percent of chain restaurants along with 75 percent of independent restaurants use social media – and for good reason. New features such as Instagram “Stories” have made it easier than ever before to engage loyal diners and attract new ones.

With just the tap of a button, you can share multiple videos and photos that won’t stick around for more than 24 hours or pop up in your followers’ news feeds. This quick, digestible content is perfect for offering diners an inside look at your restaurant’s operations. Here are three ways you can start using Instagram “Stories” to market your restaurant.

Limited-time offers

Boost delivery orders by sharing promotions exclusively with your followers on Instagram. Whether it’s a discount or complimentary dessert for all delivery orders that evening, special perks could go a long way toward convincing hungry diners to place an order. In fact, a recent report found discounts make 78 percent of consumers more likely to order from a restaurant using a mobile device.

Consider advertising your restaurant’s social media channels – including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – on your website and throughout your restaurant so diners know where to look for special deals. Since any photo or video you post to Instagram “Stories” will stay up for just 24 hours, diners will have more than enough reason to continue engaging with your restaurant and check for updates each day.

Staff interviews

When it comes to delivery, customers usually only see the final product. Give them a chance to meet the people behind your restaurant’s most delectable dishes by posting staff interviews to Instagram “Stories.” If your head chef is well-known in the community – or the restaurant industry as a whole – this can be a great opportunity to see your chef in action. From the inspiration behind certain dishes to a favorite part of the job, recording answers to a few simple questions could help customers get to know who keeps your restaurant up and running.

You can also follow back-of-house staff members throughout their day and post videos or pictures that show how top-selling dishes are made. Customers will appreciate seeing where you get your ingredients from, along with any other extra steps you take to ensure every order is delivered on time.

Sneak peeks

Thinking about adding a new dish to your menu? Let customers in on the upcoming changes by posting pictures and videos of the new dish to Instagram “Stories.” The occasional sneak peek can help build anticipation among your most loyal diners and lead to more orders and deliveries once the dish is ready to debut.

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